1/8- HISTORY OF HARTING. 



were a pack of harriers, and an old schoolmaster 

 named Exall, who lived there rent-free, and kept a 

 school in the old rooms fearless of the tottering 

 roof. Mr. Goolde concludes his letter by announcing 

 the discovery of an Iron Mine in Harting Comb, 

 probably one of the old pits, the memory of which 

 Sussex tradition with its characteristic slackness has 

 allowed to drop. A Mr. Butler, who bought all Lord 

 Montague's ore at Cowdray, surveyed the spot in 

 Harting Combe, June 7, 1738. Lady Mary wrote 

 to her son in some excitement. " This day they 

 begin to dig for oare. God send them a good in- 

 crease of it, for you are at no expence, and he 



(Mr. Butler) gives twelve pence a load Mr. 



Butler said he believed there was coale in the same 

 grounde, which he shu'd find out by ^z^ing for the 

 oar, and if it proves so will be a prodigious advantage 

 to you. He says there was a Litle in Lord Montague's 

 land, but they made nothing of it, I hope you'll have^ 

 better Luck." It would be interesting to see if any 

 traces remain of this search for coal in Sussex (as 

 ineffectual as that made about 150 years later), and 

 to what depth the borings were carried. It was 

 natural that as Sussex found her old trade in iron 

 superseded by the coal of the North, she on her side 

 should be searching for coal, to save her custom. 

 Lady Mary next passes with her usual abruptness 

 to note the death of odious Mrs. Jones. " Mr. Jones' 

 wife dyed on Sunday, just as she lived, an In- 

 dependant, and wou'd have no parson with her, 

 because she sayd she cou'd pray as well as they.* 

 He is making a great funerall, but I believe not in 

 much affection, for he was all night at a merry bout 

 two days before she died." 



Next follows an inventory of the wine in the cellar 



She was buried by Mr. Newlin in Harting Church, June, 

 1738. 



